FURTHER CHARACTERIZATION AND VALIDATION OF MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES TO STUDY RESPIRATORY

Although ferrets have been used as models for infectious diseases for many years, the lack of available immunoreagents has hampered our understanding of the mechanisms of pathogenesis, protective immunity, memory formation and vaccine efficacy. To address the immediate need, in this Phase II SBIR project, the contractor proposes to develop and thoroughly evaluate a select set of new reagents they have developed and characterized in their Phase I award for flow cytometric, ELISA, and immunofluorescent assays with cross-reactivity against multiple species. Additionally, the contractor will perform scale-up production, fluorochrome modification, and stability studies of these antibodies to provide the scientific community with the reliable reagents to advance our understanding of the immune response to respiratory infections in the ferret.